About Domain Names
The Domain Name System (DNS) is the address of your website on the Internet. Every computer on the Internet has a unique address called an IP address or IP number (IP stands for "Internet Protocol"). IP Addresses are hard to remember. The DNS makes using the Internet easier by allowing a familiar string of letters (the "domain name") to be used instead of the numbers of the IP address. So instead of typing 216.40.215.8, you can type www.mainstreettrends.com.

Registering a domain name
When you register a domain name, you are inserting an entry into a directory of all the domain names and their corresponding computers on the Internet. You register the domain name in 1 year incriments and must renew the domain name regularly.
MainStreetTrends.com uses and highly recommends GoDaddy.com to register domain names. They are THE most affordable at $8.95 per year for the top tier domains (.com,.net,.org). And there user account system is the easiest and most comprehensive available.

Domain Name Tips
Choosing a domain name can be a frustrating task as you continually try to find a catchy name that has not been taken yet. Many domain names that are taken may still be available for purchase but you will probably pay a great deal more for it.
Choose a name that:
best suits your business (preferably your current business name), easy for people to remember, not easily misspelled
If you can't get your business name try your name, or adding "-online" or "-your city". For example www.myname-online.com
Last but not least, stick to to one of the top tier extensions:
.com (commerce) is the ideal, .net (network), .org (organization)

What is ICANN?
The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) is an internationally organized, non-profit corporation that has responsibility for Internet Protocol (IP) address space allocation, protocol identifier assignment, generic (gTLD) and country code (ccTLD) Top-Level Domain name system management, and root server system management functions. These services were originally performed under U.S. Government contract by the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) and other entities. ICANN now performs the IANA function.